A New Face, A New Mystery
by Calypso.Bay
Summary: House isn't having a good day. He's got a cold and a pleasant surprise waiting for him in his office! Read and review, it's my first story! If I owned House, I would be sitting on Jesse Spencer's lap in Hawaii. I don't own it. OC Dr. O! Mine!
1. Fresh Meat

Chapter One

Fresh Meat

Gregory House limped into the hospital, glaring through puffy red eyes at all of the patients and nurses. Sniffing deeply, he let out a depressed sigh and hobbled towards the elevator, hoping Dr. Cuddy, or any doctor, for that matter, wouldn't spot him. Unfortunately for him, Dr. Wilson came over from the main desk to talk to House about something that was apparently very important, for he ignored the grumpy doctor's dripping nose and hacking cough.

"You need to get to bed on time," Wilson said as he fell in step with the sick nephrologist, who rolled his eyes and said, "Yes, mummy, now can I go talk to my friends alone? That means without you." Wilson ignored this last comment and said, "By the way, you're getting a new friend, whether you want it or not. Her name is—," Wilson started, but House snatched the folder away from his hands and stepped into the elevator, pushing the second-floor button before the oncologist could say any more.

When the elevator door slid open, Dr. Chase, Dr. Cameron and Dr. Foreman were all waiting impatiently for their boss, and someone else, both of whom were late. House sneezed loudly as he staggered out of the elevator, causing his team to back away from him as he headed for his office. "Uh, House?" Cameron asked. House ignored her and continued to head for his office, where a large box of tissues was waiting. "House!" Chase said loudly. "Hello? Is your head too clogged to hear us?" House glanced back at this comment, saying in a nasally voice, "No, I choose not to listen to you."

Chase, Cameron and Foreman enter the diagnosing room, getting coffee and preparing for an extremely grouchy House. After obnoxiously blowing his nose several times, he walked through the glass door that separated the two rooms and leaned on his cane, appearing to be bored already. "Anything interesting going on, or can I leave now?" House said. The response he got was not at all what he had expected.

"Um, House? Didn't Cuddy or Wilson or _somebody _tell you?" Foreman hesitantly said. House looked at him questioningly, his brow furrowed. Foreman's eyes rolled and he said, "Cuddy assigned you a new doctor. Fresh meat. They're supposed to be starting today, but we haven't seen them. And we have no idea who they are. Is that about them?" Foreman nodded to the folder House had forgotten he was clutching. Looking at the label on the folder, House shook his head, trying to figure out how he wasn't warned about his new staff.

"Uh, excuse me for interrupting your silence. Is this Dr. House's office?" a voice asked from the door. All four of the doctors jumped, for each of them was in deep thought. "Are you the new doctor?" Chase asked, a little awestruck. The woman standing in the doorway smiled, baring perfectly straight, white teeth. "Yeah," she said, "er, yes, I am Dr. Keira Olivieri, at your service."


	2. Dr Olivieri

_Yeah, yeah, it's short, but hey, I'm a busy person. Hope you like it. --VFD_

Chapter Two

Dr. Olivieri

The young woman that set her bag down in the corner of the room and was now slipping on a white lab coat was quite pretty. She had brunette hair that spiraled into ringlets at her shoulder blades, and captivating blue eyes. Keira, as she insisted they call her, was about 5' 8", and not sickeningly skinny. It was hard for the male doctors in the room to believe that the beauty in front of them was actually a doctor and not a dream.

Sitting easily in a chair across from Cameron, Keira turned to face House and said, "So, I'm guessing by the grumpy look in your brow and the cane in your hand that you are Dr. House. It's nice to meet you." She turned to face Cameron, who was relieved that her new co-worker was female. "And you are…" Keira started, speaking to the other female doctor. "I'm Allison Cameron. It's nice not to be the only girl now," Cameron said, beaming. They shook hands, and Keira was introduced to Dr. Chase, who was still staring, and Dr. Foreman.

Dr. Olivieri smiled slyly at House, who was still standing in a confused state. "Anything interesting?" she asked politely, "Or do I have to go through some ritual before I can begin working?" "Aren't you a rookie?" Chase asked, underestimating the intelligence of the new doctor, "I mean, this is your first job, isn't it?" Keira's head snapped around to glare at the Australian doctor, who was eyeing her suspiciously. "You think," she said slowly, "that because I'm new at _this _hospital, I'm a new doctor everywhere? You're kidding, right?"

A smile began to creep onto House's face as he sensed that the wrath of Dr. Olivieri was going to emerge. "Ooh, Chase, you done it now," he said quietly. Keira smiled at Chase, now fully facing him. She said, "Have you ever read a book in your life, Aussie? Have you ever watched television? Even listened to the radio?" Chase, Cameron, and even Foreman were terrified by how relaxed her tone was. Chase shook his head, stuttering, "Well, um, I-I mean, I—" "Then you will know that I have written EIGHT medical journals! You will know from the news that I have done breakthrough research on several HUNDREDS of diseases! You will—"she loudly told Dr. Chase, pausing for a moment afterwards. Smiling again, she stood, saying, "I don't have to explain myself, least of all to shallow doctors such as you. I have patients to cure." And with that, Keira walked out of the office doors, heading towards the clinic.

After a moment of silence, House said, "Well? Are you going to go after her or are we going to let her suffer in the clinic? Run, people, RUN!" All three doctors looked at each other questioningly, but got up and followed Keira who was already at the elevator. Cameron led the way, eager to find her new coworker. "Hey, Foreman," Chase called to the doctor in from of him. Foreman fell back reluctantly; he was also eager to find the young woman.

"D'you think she's a little _too_ perfect?" Chase asked. Foreman looked at the Australian doctor, wondering what he meant. "Uh, in what way?" Foreman responded. "Well, she claims to have written eight medical journals and done magnificent research on who knows what, and now she's working for House. Why isn't she working in Washington D.C. or some big place? Or, if she was going to come here, why isn't she at a higher rank, like taking House's position, or—" Chase realized. Foreman stopped and stared, and Cameron spun around on her heel.

"What did you say?" Cameron hissed as she stalked back to them. Chase stared into nothing, trying to understand the situation. "We need to go to Cuddy, now," Foreman insisted, and the team rushed to Dr. Cuddy's office to beg for House's job.


	3. Bad News

_Okay, chapter three!! Thanks for all of your wonderful reviews. Keep 'em coming, I love attention:) --VFD_

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Chapter Three

Bad News

"Aha, so you were on crack!" House exclaimed with a wave of his cane. The teenage patient in room 1 of the clinic looked at House confusedly. "Uh, all I said was that my headache got worse after I took Tylenol." The teenage boy rubbed his brow, taking out a bottle of pills. "I took these! It's not crack!" he said. House shrugged, scribbling on a prescription paper. "Hey, I was just making a generalization. Don't blame me for what your era has done to itself," he said nonchalantly.

Handing the paper to the teenager, he stood and began to hobble to the door. "W-what's this?" the boy said. "This is the address of the local drugstore. Go get some _real_ Tylenol," House stated with his back to the teen. "Somebody played a prank on you. You're eating TicTacs, which is why it isn't helping your headache." Turning, he added, "Aren't you smart enough to figure out that Tylenol isn't minty fresh?"

Outside the door, Chase, Cameron and Foreman were patiently waiting for their boss. When the door opened, they all leapt at it with excitement. "House! We have bad news," they all said at once. House slammed the door shut on their faces. Bewildered, the doctors waited again for House to open the door. "Let's try that again," a muffled voice said through the clinic door. "Cameron, you speak for the boys today. Go."

The door opened again and this time only Cameron came forward. "House," she said hesitantly, "we think that Dr. Olivieri is trying to take your job." House gasped with fake horror. "No! Alas, for me, my days of doctoring are finally coming to an end… I'm going to go sit in a corner and drink until I drown, now…" he rambled on sarcastically. "House!" Cameron demanded. House looked at her in bafflement, surprised that such a quiet doctor could reach that volume.

The clinic area went silent for a moment. When chatter resumed, House, who was now gaining a feeling of dread, said, "My office. Ten minutes. Now, shoo!"

As House was informed of this news, Keira was in Cuddy's office, nervously awaiting whatever news she had been called there for. "Dr. Cuddy?" she asked as she poked her head in the door. Cuddy looked up from her computer screen, obviously startled, and smiled, saying, "Come on in. I have to talk to you about something." Dr. Olivieri forced a smile, cautiously sitting in a chair in front of Cuddy's desk.

House's boss smiled, somehow relieving Keira of her anxiety. "I just wanted to check up on you on your first day, just to make sure House didn't do brain damage with his cane or anything. How is it going?" she asked. Keira sighed, saying, "Oh, it's going well. House is tolerable. Chase, though…" Cuddy frowned. "Dr. Chase? He usually doesn't cause problems," she said.

At that moment, Cuddy's door burst open, and House was in the room waving his cane dangerously around. "Traitor!" he yelled, holding it out towards Keira. "Huh?" Keira said as she toppled off of the chair, trying to escape the cane. Cuddy immediately looked furious, as though she was about to snatch House's cane out of his hand and cut his head of with it.

House shrugged. "I don't know," he said, "just wondered why you were in here." Keira sighed, lifting herself off of the floor. "I don't know either. Dr. Cuddy called me here, and personally, I don't think it's any of your business," she said. House's eyes widened in mock surprise and he let out a girlish 'Uh!' and said, "Well, I can see where I'm not wanted!"

Cuddy glared at him and growled, "Good, I'm glad you see that. Now, go do your job." House eyed Keira one more time and limped out of Cuddy's office. Dr. Cuddy smiled, waving a hand towards Keira's seat. "Let's try this again," she said. The two doctors sat down and Cuddy started again. "Hello, Dr. Olivieri. I'm going to get straight to the point," she said. Keira looked at her questioningly.

Dr. Cuddy looked Keira straight in the eye and said, "Do you want a higher position in this hospital? Because I think I know just the right one."


	4. Interruption

_Hey, sorry it took me so long!! Now that I FINALLY have vacation, maybe I'll update more...sorry if it's short, hope you like it, though. --VFD_

Interrupted

"Whose?" Keira asked, beginning to get wary. Cuddy took a deep breath, and Keira thought she was welling up a little. "Mine," she said.

Keira's mouth dropped open. "But… you… you're…" she stammered. Cuddy looked up at her, and Keira saw that Cuddy had been welling up, but she was very serious now. "I've enjoyed working here," she said quietly, "but…I want to have a family. A husband, children, grandchildren… I'm not as young as I used to be, you know." Now Keira was getting a lump in her throat. "But, it's my first day. I don't deserve to be in your position, maybe in a few years, but not on my first day!" she said. Dr. Cuddy laughed. "You think," she said, "that I hired you—the world famous Keira Olivieri!—to work _for_ House? Keira, I want you to have House work _for you_."

"Me? Work for _her_?" a voice hissed from behind Keira. House was standing in the doorway, his eyes narrowed at Dr. Olivieri. "What are you talking about, Cuddy?" Keira became even more emotional at the sound of House's voice—it was icy, filled with cold hate. Cuddy scowled. "What do you want, House? Is there something you need Dr. Olivieri for? We were having a _private_ discussion," she said menacingly.

It was Chase who interrupted them this time. "House," he said impatiently, "we need you in the ER." The emergency room. Whatever House was needed for, it wasn't good. "All right," House snapped. Chase started, then shrugged and strode of to the ER. House's eyes turned back to Keira, penetrating her with a hostile glare. "Come on," he said, and limped out of Cuddy's office.

Keira glanced at Cuddy one more time, then followed House tentatively. To her surprise, she had to walk quickly to keep up with her boss. She tried multiple times to make eye contact, but he refused. House kept his eyes, which were now a stony, hard blue, straight ahead, not daring to look at the begging traitor next to him. _How dare she_, he thought, _how _dare_ she_! His rage boiled up inside of him until they reached the Emergency Room, where a car accident victim was being prepped for surgery.

"What's up?" Keira asked as she barged ahead of House. "He's going under for internal bleeding," Chase responded to both House and Keira. He handed Keira a clean cloth and she continued to mop up blood, along with several other nurses. Keira noticed that he gave it to her rather forcefully, and then focused his attention on his boss. _Well it's not hard to tell where his loyalties lie_, she thought, and then wondered why she thought it. Shaking her brain out of its trance, she tossed the bloody cloth in a wastebasket and grabbed a fresh one.

Then Keira noticed something about the patient: he wasn't screaming. In fact, he looked quite calm. But he couldn't be in shock, he'd be unconscious… right? "House," she said slowly. The older doctor ignored her, pretending to pay attention to Chase, who was babbling on about the accident. "House!" Keira said loudly this time. "He's not doing anything." Now House paid attention to her. "He's what?" he asked as he made his way through the bustling nurses, who were causing all of the noise.

"He can't be in shock, right? So why isn't he reacting to this? He has to be in pain!" she said, beginning to get very frustrated.

"Unless," she added quickly, "he doesn't know he's hurt."


	5. Decisions, Decisions

_Sorry for the long wait, and apologies that it couldn't be a longer chapter. More to come soon. Review please!_

"What's happening to my son?" the angry mother demanded of Cameron. "Ma'am, please, we—" Cameron began, only to be shoved out of the way by the vociferous woman. The patient was now unconscious and in his own room, being examined by three doctors at once.

"We've done this before, but he shows no similar symptoms from the previous case. Maybe his arteries…" Chase began, finishing his sentence in his head. Frowning, Foreman shook his head. "I don't think so. The arteries wouldn't cause trauma, if _that's_ what that was … it has to be something in the brain, maybe…" he also trailed off.

House also frowned, and said, "The foot bone connects to the, ankle bone, the ankle bone connects to the, leg bone, the leg bone connects to the … to the … there's your problem. No bones above his leg. Case solved!"

The angry mother rushed in towards House, her face a mix of frustration, anger, and maternal worry. "What's going on? Do you know what's wrong with him? Why won't anyone answer me? What –" she raged before she was promptly slapped across the cheek by Keira, who had entered the room and rescued the startled House. "To answer your questions: nothing, not yet, and because you never shut up. Now, we're going to do some tests on him, and they will help us to figure out the real answers to questions one and two. In the meantime, why don't you look at our gift shop?"

As Keira escorted the unstable mother to the waiting area, she heard House mutter behind her, "Forget the gift shop, get her some sedatives." Turning, she saw the older doctor's sparkling eye turn away from hers. Feeling pleased that she had possibly undone her previous wrongs, and the woman was now off her hands and into Cameron's, Keira treated herself to a quick latte in the cafeteria before meeting back at House's office.

Three hours later, the team of diagnosticians scurried away from their boss to test the patient in various painful ways. Keira lingered slightly, wanting to be sure that she had made amends, but a warning look from Cameron stopped her.

"Are you … mad? For some unknown reason?" Keira hesitantly asked as she and the other woman working for House performed a MRI on the now awake but dazed patient, who had still not spoken a word. Cameron frowned, thinking. After a moment, she hesitantly said, "Well, as an answer to your question, I suppose I have to ask a question." Keira looked wary, but nodded for her to continue. "Are you trying to take House's job?" Cameron asked.

Keira sat silently for a moment or two, completely relieved at Cameron's answer. Then she began to laugh much to the surprise of the latter. "So…you are? Or you aren't?" Cameron wondered. Still chuckling to herself, Keira answered, "Of course not. I just got here, and I respect House very much. I wouldn't want to take his job, or—"

"So I'm guessing that this is a no to our previous proposition?" Lisa Cuddy said from behind them. Startled, Keira leapt out of her chair, almost pressing some fatal buttons that control the MRI machine.

"Um… I guess so. I mean, I wanted to think, but…" Keira stuttered. Cuddy looked unsure. "Well then," the Dean of Medicine said, "I'll give you a day. Think about it, I can always find someone else."

After the latter had left, and Keira had collapsed into her chair, Cameron was bursting with inquires. "What deal? Are you going to get a higher position? Is this about controlling—" she said to Keira. Dr. Olivieri looked though Cameron as questions were thrown at her, trying to imagine a future as the Dean of Medicine…or working for House.

_"Well???"_

"I…I don't know. Rain check on the questions. In the mean time, we're done here, so let's get him back to his room and get the results," Keira said firmly. She would have to think about this later, and in the meantime, avoid Cuddy.

Upon arriving at the room of the silent patient, Cameron and Keira were met by the rest of House's team and the Grinch himself. "He's been transferred," House said vacantly to no one in particular. "Him? The patient?" Chase asked. "Why?"

Shaking his head, House answered, "I dunno." He paused for a minute to throw some Vicotin in his mouth, then perked up a little. "Cuddy must not want us getting too bored with repeated cases. Hey, don't blame me, I was onto something with that leg bone theory."


End file.
